If I Die Young
by twirltheflag
Summary: Augustina has always done whatever it takes to be the the best Assassin. So when Ezio comes along and starts out doing her while also flirting with her, she vows to never go down with out a fight. Rated for language, suggestive themes, and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**WARING: KINDA WRITING THIS WITH OUT ANY KINDA PLAN OR OUTLINE SO WE'LL SEE WHERE THIS GOES. BE NICE!**

Info and Part 1

Name: Augustina Mignogna

Age:16

Height: 5'9"

Looks: Golden hair down to her waist, bangs to her cheek bones. Grey blue eyes. Pale, fair skin.

Assassin Robes: A white, hoded, 3/4 sleeved shirt under a brown leather vest that goes to the knees. A white skirt that goes to the knees. A scarlet sash wore around the waist. Shoulder gaurds on each shoulder. 2 assassin wrist blades. A brown leather belt that holds her sword and 5 throwing knifes/daggers. Brown, leather, knee-high boots that holds two more throwing knifes/daggers. She hides 2 throwing knifes/daggers under her wrist blades as well.

Personality: Head-strong, reserved, doesn't really have a sense of humor as it is a rare occation for her to make a joke. She doesn't screw around even when she's not working. She is constantly striving to be the best and prove to everyone that she is able and worthy tho be a part of the Assassin's. Has always believed that girls can do anything boy can do and they can do it better.

Background: ... You'll find out ;)

And now we begin.

* * *

I crawled from the river into the bushes and watched the ambush group.

Vieri de Pazzi's vileness knew no bounds.

He intended on group mugging a family who had been exiled from Firenze. The family of the late Giovanni Auditore de Firenze. A great Assassin in bankers clothing. And middle son was the only one still alive. So it was his responsibility to finish what his father had started.

Vieri, having a bit of a bitter past with this son of Firenze, decided to look to his henchmen to take out him and his mother and sister in the dead of night in the middle of no where.

Nessuna vergogna e senza onore.

The Auditore family came up the road and fell right into the trap.

Veiri stepped out into the open, for once in his cowardice life.

"Buon giorno, Ezio! How could you leave Firenze without saying a proper goodbye?"

Veiri's men surrounded the family, forcing the younger woman to call out to the man in Assassin robes. He beconned the women closer to him.

"What do you want, Veiri?"

"So many things; a larger palazzo, two new steeds, a prettier , and yes... your life."

I rolled my eyes.

1. Oldest trick in the book; never waste time on a monolgue. Especially one that stupid.

2. Viziato Monello.

I watched from the bushes as the Assassin boy managed to, clumsily, protect his family from 2 henchmen with just his wrist balde.

But, once that was done, Veiri decided that he was bored. And so was I.

I mounted my bow with three arrows and aimed for the hench men.

"Finish him! And do not spare the women!"

I released my arrows, taking down three henchmen while the rest were taken down by single or double arrows from the rest of Capitano Mario's followers.

Veiri watched as his men dropped, and he was quiet shaken by the fact that he couldn't see his attackers.

"What scorcery is this?"

Capitano gave a laugh.

"Not sorcery, boy! Skill!"

"Show yourself."

Wrong thing to say.

I jumped from the bushes and landed on 2 gaurds as I buried my wrist blades into their necks.

...

In no time at all, Vieri's hench men was lying on the ground, dead or close to dead.

However, Veiri himself had feld the scene just as we had shown ourselves.

The moment I was done with my share of the guards, I started running after him, but Capitano caught my shoulder and gave me the look that said, "Patience."

I nodded to him, doing what he said, but I contiued to look off in the direction that the codaro ran.

But I still listned at Capitano united with his nipote.

"You have my thanks."

"Keep the sword, Ezio."

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Don't you recognize me? It's-a me, Mario!"

"Uncle Mario."

"It's been too long, nipote! Far too long! I heard about what happened in Firenze... terrible. Come. Alet's get you all away from here."

"Si, Zio. But, before we go..."

"Si, nipote?"

"... I see a pair of legs that I wish to know."

"... Ah. Of course. Assassina!"

Me?

I walked up to Ezio and capitano, keeping my hesd down low so that my hood would hide my face.

"Assassina, this Ezio Auditore de Firenze. Nipote, this is one of the feircest compagni you'll ever have; Augustina Mignogna."

I gave a nod to Ezio.

Silence.

"Assassina! The least you can do is pull your hood down so that Ezio can see your face."

I sighed deeply and slipped my hood off, shaking my hair free and letting it tumble down to my waist.

I looked up into Ezio's face.

He was... handsome? I'd never described any man I knew as 'handsome'. But this man deffinatly fit that bill. Long, dark hair. Tan skin. Well built.

Ezio's smirk snapped me out of my train of thought.

I stuck my hand out, offering to shack Ezio's.

He just looked at my hand for a moment.

Then, he gasped it and gave it a squeeze.

We stayed like this for a moment. And then, he turned my hand so that the back of it was facing upwards.

He brought my hand to his lips.

"Charmed, Assassina."

I felt the heat in my cheeks rise. This had never happened before. No man had ever kissed my hand... no man had ever had the guts.

I ripped my hand away, straightened my vest and cleared my throat.

I turned on my heel and started walking away. But I cold still hear capitano.

"Don't take it personally, nipote. She's always like that; Tutte le attivita."

* * *

Nessuna vergogna e senze onore - No shame and no honor

Viziato Monello - Spoiled brat

Zio - Uncle

Tutte le attivita- All bussiness


	2. Chapter 2

No. As I saild, we are leaving

Part 2

We made it back to Villa Auditore in one piece.

When Mario told Ezio that we were going to start his training soon, Ezio had no clue what he was talking about; his father never let him in on the Assassins. I commended that man for being able to keep such a big secret from his entire family for so long, but when at least one person in your family is going to eventually be a part of the secret, you should probably tell that person in a timely manner.

Ezio said that they were only staying for a little while, but I knew better.

I went up to my room in the villa. I slipped out of my Assassins robes and threw on an onle blue and green tie-died dress. I went all the way down to my mid-calf and had 1 inch straps and bodice like top.

I kept my brown leather boots on and put on my belt that still held my sword and daggers. I also put on 2 garrters and slipped two more daggers into them.

I was ready.

...

"Salute, uncle. I did as you asked."

"And quickly too. Bene fatto! Now, let's teach you how to fight."

"No. As I said, we are leaving."

"Ezio! You barely held your own against Veiri! You won't survive a week on the road. If you want to leave - so be it - But at least do so armed with the skills and knowledge necessary to defend yourself. If not for me, for your mother and sister."

"Fine."

"Ottimo! First, I want to see just how much you already know. Assassina?"

I walked up to the fighting ring and jumped in.

That's when Ezio started laughing.

"Uncle, I admit, she could hold her own against Veiri, but, never the less, she is a woman."

He almost didn't see my throwing knife fly past his cheek.

He stared at me, quiet shocked. And I just gave him an eye brow pop.

"Assassina."

I looked to Capitano and he was giving me the look that told me to play fair.

I rolled my eyes and went to the to edge of the ring, where an assistant was waiting.

I raised my dress up to my hip and took the dagger out of the garter.

That's when I heard a catcall wistle.

I threw a cold stare at Ezio, who was just smirking his ass off. It took all my strength not to throw the dagger at him.

I gave all my daggers to the assistant, making it so that my only weapon was my broad sword.

Ezio jumped into the ring with me and drew his own sword.

I just crossed my arms over my chest and looked at him.

"Are you not going to arm yourself?"

I just gave him a smirk.

"Nipote, this is Assassina's way... she won't draw her own weapon until you force her to do so."

Ezio gave me his own smirk.

"Sembra come una donna per me."

My smirk became a scowl.

Ezio took the moment to thrust his sword at me.

I took a step back and turned so that he was looking at me from my side.

The blade slide by, 2 inches in front of my face.

Ezio froze, shocked at my reflexes. I just gave him a smirk.

He pulled the sword back and trusted again, aiming behind me.

I took another step back and made a 180 turn.

My right shoulder was now towards Ezio and I was smirking at his lack of experience.

He just kept on throwing sword thrusts at me as fast as he could, making him even more clumsy.

Finally, he was so angry the he just brought his sword straight above his head and start to bring it down on my head.

I drew my sword and held it above my head.

The swords clashed and we froze like this.

A smirked spread across Ezio's sweaty face.

"So... I finally... became... to much for you?"

He had been using practically all of his strength and stamina, trying to trust his sword at me, so he was completely out of breathe.

I shook my head at him.

"Al contrario, I was just getting bored."

He grabbed hold of my wrist and pushed our swords up so that they were above our heads.

His nose was lightly touching mine and his hot breath was right on my face. And he had a seductive smile on his his face.

"I can fix that."

I clenched my teeth.

"Tell it to some one who cares!"

I brought my foot around and aimed to kick him right in the stomach.

He jumped back, out of my reach and just barely missing my foot.

"No need to be so insulted, Assassina. I was only making a suggestion."

"And if you know what's good for you, you'll never make the suggestion, again."

I swung my sword around, aiming right for his neck.

He held his sword up to block my attack and hold my sword.

He reached around a grabbed my free arm. He pulled me so that my back was pressed to his chest.

He smelled my hair and sighed.

"Ah. Fierceness never smelled so lovely."

"SCENDERE!"

I stomped on his foot and shove my elbow into his chest.

He let go of me and I took the opportunity to spin away from him.

I fixed my gaze back on Ezio and watched him carefully.

His pain subsided and he looked up at me.

His face turned to shock.

Mario was shocked.

The assistant was shock.

They were all looking at me. And two of them had fear in there eyes.

My eyes were drawn to the ground by a a dull glint.

There, scattered on the ground, was a pile of long golden hair, shining in the setting sun light.

I slowly lifted my my hand to my hair.

The left side of my hair was still at full length.

The right side was now to my shoulders.

I was... shocked... and angry...

I kept my hair at waist length for years. And I did it for a reason.

It was to prove to everyone - my enemies, my targets, even my own comerades - that I could do anything they could do and i could do it in long hair and a skirt.

No one - not even Capitano - had ever been able to slice my hair in sparing or battle.

And this... this recluta managed to do it on our first fight.

I sighed deeply to surpress my anger.

I gave Ezio the straightest face that I could.

I held my sword out in front of me and turned it so that the tip was towards the ground.

The assisstant and the Capitano were looking at me, quiet confused.

But Ezio gave me his own straight face.

"Tregua?"

I prayed that he would take the bait. In order to salavage my reputation with the Capitano, I needed Ezio to fall to the trap.

A smirk spread over Ezio's face.

He turned his sword so that it was extactly like mine.

"Tregua."

I tossed my sword into the air.

I brought my foot around, kicking Ezio's sword out of him hand and out of the ring.

I spun and brought my foot around again, aiming to hit him straight in the ribs.

He caught my foot and held it fast.

I just gave him a smirk and helf out my hand.

My sword fell into my palm with ease.

I jumped from my lone foot and brought it up.

I kicked Ezio right in the jaw.

He let go of my foot and fell back.

I used the momentum of my kick to throw me into a flip.

I landed on my feet like a cat.

I glared at Ezio, who was still lying on the ground in shock.

He suddenly got a glare on his face.

He pointed to me and yelled, "Non `e giusto! Colpo Basso! That was a sporco trucco!"

I kept my face straight.

I threw myself into a series of cartwheels and filps while preforming fancy sword work.

I forced Ezio up against the wall of the ring.

I stood over him, showing no hint of mercy in my eyes.

I raised my sword above my head.

He closed his eyes tightly.

I slammed the sword into the ground right next to his neck.

All was silent.

He cracked his eyes open.

He looked up into my eyes, clearly with a hint of fear in them.

I smirked.

"Lezione numero uno; Everything is fair. There are no cheap shots. Everyone uses dirty tricks. There are no rules. Everything that is nessacery and availible is aloud. Besides, it's your own fault for falling for such a trick that everyone you meet will use. They will try to appeal to your better nature. They will beg for mercy. Try to bribe you. Convince you that they will only do good. If you fall for anything that they say, you are signing your own death warrent. And if they don't kill you, we will. You are an assassin; youmust kill any targets that you are asigned to because, in our world, it's either kill or be killed and you're either dead or alive. Remember that, recluta."

I goot off of Ezio and pulled my sword from the ground.

I walked to the edge of the fighting ring and jumped out. I walked up to the assisstant and held out my hand, asking for my daggers back.

I put all my daggers back in my belt and one of my garters. But I held the last one right under the nose of the assisstant.

"Not a word of what happened here today. Capiche?"

He gave me a scared nod.

I walked back up to the ring, jumped in and scooped up the pile of hair.

I jumped out of the ring and walked a good 3 yards.

Then I stopped.

I took hold of the uncut side of my hair and drapped it over my shoulder.

I tugged the dagger through the tangle, furiously.

I threw all of the cut hair into air and let the wind carry the strands away.

* * *

Salute - Hello

Bene fatto - Well done

Ottimo - Good

Nipote - Nephew

Sembre come una donna per me - Sounds like my kinda lady

Al contrario - On the contrary...

SCENDERE - GET OFF

Recluta - Rookie

Tregua - Truce

Non `e giusto! Colpo Basso! - Not Fair! Cheap trick!

Sporco trucco - Dirty trick

Lezione numero uno - Lesson number one

Capiche - Understand


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

I brushed the loose hair out of my ponytail and off my shoulders.

I looked in the mirror and sighed. This was going to be difficult to explain.

When it came to training all the Assassins and Mercenaries, I always challenged them to see if they could cut my hair. None of them ever could, no matter how much training they had.

And Auditore, a punk della strada who could just barely swing a sword, had done it on his first try.

If I didn't act right and play the right moves, they were all gonna know and they would all laugh at me.

I took a deep breathe and marched out of the room.

I walked, confidently to the huge mess hall that we reserved for, only, huge parties.

I stopped right in front of the huge double doors and took another deep breathe.

I pushed both the doors open, making them slam against the walls, as I had always done. I strutted through the mess hall, heading to the head of the table.

As I passed by, all the chattering and drinking silenced. Everyone was looking at me with my new hair cut.

I needed to act as confident as I usually did.

I took my seat next to Maria, Ezio's Mother. Capitano was on the other side of her and at the head of the table. Claudia and Ezio sat across from Maria and me.

Capitano stood up once I was seated. "Benvenuti, amici miei. Tonight, we mourn the loss of one of our fratelli. Giovanni Auditore de Firenze, my bother and the father to my neice and nephew, was executed in Frienze, along with his oldest and youngest sons, Frederico and Petruchio. Let us have a moment of silence and pray that they rest in peace and that their family will survive this hardship."

I bowed my head and gave a little prayer for a man I had only heard incredible stories about. I slightly opened my eyes when I was done and looked at Ezio, his face stricken with grief, anger and determination. I felt a twinge of pain for him.

Everyone lifted their heads from the prayer and Capitano continued. "However, we also celebrate this night; we welcome my nephew, Ezio Auditore de Frienze!"

Ezio stood up and every single man at the table started cheering. He, of course, got cocky and a big smirk spread over his face as he waved to every one.

I was the only one who was not clapping. And Ezio noticed.

He turned his attention, popped his eye brows, winked and puckered his lips.

All the men either burst out laughing, start shouting cat calls, or started saying how I was going to beat Ezio's ass.

I smiled innocently while I grabbed the big serving knife from the roasted pig entree, which was right in front of me.

I stabbed the knife right through the top of the pig's head, showing it no mercy.

The room went dead silent and everyone was looking at me like I was a mad woman. Everyone except for Ezio and Captiano.

Ezio rised his eye brows in surprise but the smirk was still on his face.

And Capitano was... laughing?

"Careful, nipote. If you keep this up, Assassina will make _you_ next week's dinner."

The laughter resumed.

Capitano raised his goblet.

"To Ezio!"

Everyone, save for myself, raised their glasses. "TO EZIO!"

I lightly picked up my goblet and just brought it to my lips, not bothering, even, a half-hearted toast.

The eating, drinking, gossiping, laughing commenced. I sat quietly, eating, not talking to anyone.

Suddenly, I felt something brush against my boot. I knew what it was.

It was Ezio's boot.

I glared at him from beneath my eyelashes.

He still had that irritating smirk on his face.

I breathed a slow sigh and and curled my toes, holding my ground.

He contiued to tap my boot, annoyingly. But, I kept my cool and didn't do anything.

At least, not until he got way to bold.

He ran the tip of his boot all the way up my calf.

I brought my foot around and slammed in down on his foot, holding it in place. I brought my other leg back to slam my foot right into his calf. The impact would have broken his leg if he hadn't ripped form my grasp.

We left each other alone for a while after that.

"Augustina?"

I looked at Claudia.

"Not that it isn't good, but what happened to your hair?"

The table grew silent; everyone was waiting for the answer that they've wanted to here for ages now.

I briefly glared at Ezio, silently telling him to keep his mouth shut.

Then I, casually, said, "I got bored with it."

Suddenly, a dunken laugh came from the other end of the table.

Alonzo Dino.

One of the mercenario.

One of the useless ones.

He was always drunk, slacking off and leering at women; particularly, me.

He stood up from his seat and started sauntering over to me, talking the whole time; "I find this a little too coincidental, don't all of you? Augustina Mignogna, our little Assassina who thinks she's better than all of us has always used those serrature di oro to tease and torment us; she's always challenged us to try and clip her hair and, when we couldn't, she'd call us useless uomini. Now, on the very day that a new student decides to join us, our little gemma decides to loose that taunting... intoxicating hair."

By now, Alonza was standing behind me. He was, subtly smelling my hair. It took all my strength not to break his neck right then and there.

"So, ragazzino, did anything interesting happen in training today?"

Ezio looked between me and Alonzo.

He was going to tell; I just knew he was. It would be his way of getting revenge for all the critizism I gave him during training.

"I'm ashamed to say I couldn't cut her hair either; she's far too skilled for any of us to touch her."

I tried extremely hard to hide my confusion and surprise; why was he lying for me?

I didn't do anything to help him but here he was, saying that he was no better than the men we dined with when he could have started braging about how well he did.

"This is the first time I've seen her with this hair length. I am going to miss all of those fili d'oro. However, this is a most attractive look for our little Assassina."

Ezio smirked again and winked at me.

Alonzo barked a laugh.

"Now, I really see what's going on. Ragazzino turned on his amature charm and Augustina is falling for it. Well, guess what, Ragazzino?"

He yanked on my shoulder, pulling me out of my chair and pressing me to his dirty, hairy chest. His beathe stank of wine and lack of hygine. I pushed against him, trying to get him to let go.

"She's mine, raggazzo. I laid claim to her long before you were walking. So stay away."

That did it. I snapped.

I grabbed my wine goblet and threw the contents right in the man's face.

His eyes imeadiatly started buring and he let go of me so he could rub them.

I took that opportunity to slap him across the face, sending spralling to the floor.

The pervert looked at me, shook, like everyone else in the room.

"I belong to no one. You do not own me. You don't tell me what to do. What I do with my hair is none of your concern. Why I do what I do with my hair is none of your concern. You are nothing more than a ubriaco, bastardo pervertito and that's all you'll ever be. If you dare to try and control me ever again, I will rip your pene off with out any misericordia."

I slammed my goblet down on the table and started marching out of the dinning hall.

"Ora, se sarete tutti mi scusi, la stupidità maschile in questa stanza mi sta facendo male."

I slammed the doors shut behind me.

I ran out of Villa Auditore and started climbing buoldings to work off some steam.

**punk della strada - punk of the street**

**Benvenuti****, amici miei – Welcome, my friends**

**Fratelli - brothers** **serrature****di****oro – locks of gold**

**uomini - men**

**gemma - gem**

**ragazzino – little boy**

**fili****d'oro – golden locks**

**raggazzo – ubriaco, bastardo pervertito**** – drunken, perverted bastard**

**pene – penis**

**misericordia – mercy**

**Ora,**** se sarete tutti mi scusi, la stupidità maschile in questa stanza mi sta facendo male – Now, if you'll excuse me, the male stupidty in this room is making me sick**


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

I stood on a roof top in the middle of the square.

The night was alive with drunken parties, courtesans, and other such drivel.

I closed off the distracting sounds, closing my eyes, and suck in the fresh air. I released my hair from it's binding and let it float in the wind.

Suddenly, the sound of feet on the roof tops reached my ears.

I snapped my eyes open and looked behind me.

Auditore was headed my way.

I leaped into a run, jumping between roof tops and ledges and climbing the ragged stones.

"Hold on a minute! Wait!"

He kept calling for me to slow down or stop all together.

Finally, I was climbing the side of the tallest building in Monteriggioni.

The walls were practically falling apart and I accidentally grabbed a faulty stone.

The damned thing crumbled into a million pieces.

The same thing happened to the very stone that my weighted foot was on.

I lost my balanced and I couldn't grab another stone fast enough.

I fell back wards and started plummeting to the roof that was far below where I had started to fall.

'So, this is how it ends. Then, what was all my work for?'

I let my eyes close and waited for the impact of stone and metal.

An impact came.

But, it wasn't hard, cold stone.

It was strong, warm. Slightly like…

Arms.

Male arms.

And my head was resting against a shoulder.

A seductive chuckled rumbled through the chest that I was pressed against.

I snapped my eyes open and looked up.

Auditore was smirking down at me.

"Allora, che cosa fa l'eroe ottiene per salvare la damigella in pericolo?"

I scowled.

I bent over backwards until my hands made contact with the roof. I flipped out of Ezio's arms and to my own two feet.

I immediately started throwing punches.

Ezio started laughing and dodging them; a result of his first day of training from Capitano

He tired talking to me, telling me to calm down and to stop trying to hit him.

I refused to listen.

When I never managed to land a punch, I decided to take it to a new level.

I threw myself into a spinning kick, aiming right for Ezio's bel ragazzo face.

My foot stopped two inches away from the boys cheek.

He had caught me by the ankle and stopped the kick in mid air.

He smirked at my shocked face and started tugging my foot this way and that.

My balance gave way and slipped out from under me, sending me sprawling on my back.

I willed away the pain of the landing and forced my eyes open.

Ezio was kneeling in front of me, smirking down at me.

I shot up to a sitting position and made a move to shove the heel of my hand right into his bottom jaw.

He caught me by the wrist and, before I knew it, he had wrestled me onto my back, again, and had pinned my arms down.

I thrashed about, fighting against him but it did nothing to help me.

"Sh, seniorina. Sh."

He pressed his forehead to mine to stop me from thrashing my head around.

I jerked my head up, attempting to it into his head, but he moved away, laughing, before I managed to make contact.

"Essere ancora, seniorina; I mean you no harm."

"Bugiardo!"

"I just want to talk."

"I don't."

"Look, you can either agree to listen to me, answer some questions and we'll both be calm or I keep you pinned down and torture answers out you."

He smirked down.

"So what's it gonna be?"

Unfortunately, I had to admit, he had the upper hand in the situation.

I breathed a frustrated sigh and said, "What do you wish to know?"

He smirked again and pushed himself off me.

I sat up and gently massaged my back where I had landed wrong.

Ezio offered me his hand to help me up but I refused it and stood up on my own.

I went over to the wall of the tall building and leaned against it with my my arms across my chest, waiting for Ezio to start asking questions.

"Well, for starters, the man from dinner; the one that pulled you from your chair and claimed you as his?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Alonzo."

"Si, Alonzo. What's your story with him?"

"Anything specific?"

"Well... are you... really 'his'?"

I scowled at him and said, "Not that my love life and status is any of your business but I am a full virgin and I intend to stay that way for a very long time if not my whole life."

He looked at me surprised. I kinda pissed me off.

"Is there something you want to say, Auditore?"

"No. I just think that... well, that's a bit of a bold claim and promise."

"Clearly, you haven't noticed; I'm a bold woman."

Suddenly, he smirked. "Oh, no. I noticed. And believe me, it suits you... magnificamente."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Innuendo a parte, what else do you want to know?"

"If you're not his, what's going on between you two."

"He get drunk and leers at me, as he has ever since I came to the order. Is there anything?"

"Just one. You work very hard, Assassina. Why is that? Why did you even get involved in the first place."

I looked at him for a long time before I shove myself off the wall, turned to it and, quickly, started climbing it again.

Auditore was not far behind.

"Hang on! You said you'd answer my questions."

"The deal was you'd let me up if I answered _a few_ questions. I never agreed to answer all of your questions. And you're lucky that I answered any of your questions."

"Why is that?"

"The fact is, no has to answer any question that they are asked; they're not obligated to answer and no one can force them to."

"What if they are tortured?"

"That's still not forcing them to answer any questions; that's just making their living conditions difficult until they can't take it any more. In the end, the one whose being tortured gives up the information on their own will."

I got to the top of the roof and took a rest, looking out over the city.

But, soon, Auditore got to the top, too, and I didn't like the look on his face one bit.

"Well, then, you'll give up the information quite freely once I'm done with you."

He advanced toward me.

I stepped over the wall of the roof and stepped onto a small ledge.

I held my balanced as I turned and looked at Auditore.

"No where else to go."

"Are you sure?"

I spread my arms out wide and went onto my toes.

He knew what I was gonna do; he just didn't know what I knew.

I pushed my self off the ledge and started falling.

I turned myself in a flip in the air until I was right side up.

I landed in a huge pile of straw.

Thats right; I preformed a leap of faith _backwards_.

I stood up from the straw pile and brushed the straw strands from my hair and dress.

I looked up and smirked at an awed Auditore.

I gave his a flourishing bow, turned on my heel and walked away, blending intot he crowd as I went.

**Allora, che cosa fa l'eroe ottiene per salvare la damigella in pericolo?** **- So, what does the hero get for saving the damsel in distress?**

**Bel ragazzo - pretty boy**

**Essere ancora - Be still**

**Bugiardo - Liar**

**magnificamente** - **Beautifully**

**Innuedno a parte - Innuendo aside**


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

I returned to Villa Auditore after walking around the town square for a while.

I went straight to my room to get ready for bed.

From the moment I entered the room, I knew; something was wrong.

It was pitch black; I couldn't see a thing.

It stank of wine, which I never kept in my room.

The air was chilled and sent a shiver down my spine.

And I heard breathing.

But I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.

Suddenly, something slammed into my cheek, sending me, sprawling, onto my bed.

The intruder had back handed me.

I heard something, made of glass, fall to the floor and break into a million pieces.

The wine smell got stronger.

A great weight fell on top of me.

It was a man.

A sweaty man.

A sweaty, naked man.

He, drunkenly, grabbed the bodice top of my dress and started ripping.

I felt his dirty, oily hands feel around my body.

He started, hungrily, biting at my neck.

With instinct as my only guide, I slipped my hand under my pillow where I always kept a knife, in case there's an emergency.

I bought the knife out and plunged it into the mans collar, making him scream and gargle in pain and agony.

When I felt the naked mass got limp, I pushed it off of me.

That's when Capitano, Maria, Claudia, Ezio, and a few of the other mercenaries burst through my door. Ezio, Captiano and the mercenaries were armed with swords while Claudia and Maria held candles.

"Assassina! What happen?"

I didn't answer him. I just grabbed a candle from my night stand and lit it from Maria's.

I held the lit candle of the dead man and, finally, saw his face.

Alonzo. And, next to him, a broken bottle of wine.

What a sorpresa.

"What did he do to you?"

I looked at the group, knowing that I didn't have to answer; they already knew.

I knelt down next to the dead man, his wide, lifeless eyes staring right at me.

"Che Dio vi mostrerà il perdono che non avrei mai potuto. Requiescat in pace."

I slid his eyes closed.

I stood up and let the mercenaries carry the corpse out of my room.

Ezio walked up to me and reach out to touch my chin.

I smacked his hand away but he brushed it off and ran his thumb along my chin.

He pulled it away and showed my the blood.

My lip was bleeding from getting slapped.

I brushed past him, walked down stairs and went out into the court yard.

I took some water from the fountain and splashed it over my face, washing the blood away.

Suddenly, I felt a shawl being thrown over me.

I looked behind me to see Auditore.

I shrugged the shawl off and let it fall to the ground. I started to brush past Ezio when he grabbed my arm, grabbed the shawl and rapped it around my shoulders, tying it into a knot right in front of my chest.

My chest.

My, almost, bare chest.

Alonzo had ripped my dress and undergarment so hard that I was nearly falling out.

The shawl was to keep me from indecent exposure.

I looked up at Ezio, confused; he seemed like the type who would enjoy seeing a woman's bare skin, not try to cover it up.

Well, I wasn't going to complain; it was better than having him finish the job that Alonzo had started.

I started heading back into the villa when Ezio took my arm again and brought me back over the fountain.

He wet his hand and pressed it against my neck.

I shivered at the cold water and Ezio pulled his hand away to show that Alonzo and bitten my neck so hard that it had started bleeding.

I let Ezio clean up the neck wound and that's when Claudia came out with some bandages which she wrapped and tied around my neck.

I walked back up to my room with Claudia and Ezio following.

Claudia peeled of and went to the room where the Auditore's were staying but Ezio followed me to my room.

I sat down infront of my mirror and slipped the shawl off.

Besides the bleeding wounds I have finger nail marks all over my chest.

I started to untie my dress when I noticed that Ezio was watching me through the mirror.

"Do you mind?"

"What?"

"I'm changing."

"Very well." A smirk spread across his face, quiet suddenly.

"Get out."

"No." His smirk widened.

"Why not?"

"I'm staying here to keep an eye on you. I don't wan you to get attack again."

I glared at him through the mirror.

"First of all, I've kill the only bastardo pervertito here. Secondly, even if he wasn't the only one, in case you haven't noticed, I can take care of myself."

Ezio gave a low chuckle. "You can't be sure that he's the only one who would want to take advantage of you."

I turned around and twisted his own words against him. "You're right; there is another pervertito here. And he's in my room right now, claiming that he's my body guard."

Ezio, jokingly, clutched his chest, acting like he had been shot. "You wound me, seniorina."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'll stop wounding you when I'm wrong. Now, get out."

"No."

"... Fine."

I hurried behind the changing screen.

I heard Ezio chuckle in amusement.

A veil of silence fell over us for a while as I changed my clothes.

"May I ask you something, seniorina?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Why did you say 'rest in peace' after what he tried to do to you?"

"As assassins, we have 3 duties, Auditore. The 1st is to blend into the crowd and to be unseen. The 2nd is to take care of our targets, no matter what."

"And what's the 3rd?"

I came from behind the changing screen in my night gown. "The 3rd is to show respect to the dead, even if they didn't show us respect in life."

"Why?"

"If we don't, we are no better than them."

Ezio thought about my answer while I went over to my bed.

"Buona notte, Auditore."

I blew out the candle on my bed stand.

I slipped under the covers and lay on my side, facing away from Ezio.

I heard him walked up to my bed.

"You touch me, you die."

"That's a pretty bold statement. I highly doubt you have weapons hidden in that bed."

"Where do you think the knife in Alonzo's neck came from?"

The silence made me smirk.

**s****orpresa – surprise**

**Che Dio****vi mostrerà****il****perdono****che****non avrei mai potuto. Requiescat in pace**** – May God show you the forgiveness that I never could. Rest in peace**

**bastardo****pervertito - perverted bastard**

**pervertito - pervert**

**Buona notte**** - Good night**


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

The next day, Capitano insisted that all I would do that day was rest.

I protested, saying that I was alright but, once Capitano made it an official order, I couldn't fight him.

I returned to my room and changed into a green, bodice-topped dress, much like the blue and green that had gotten ripped the night before.

I threw a black cloak on, grabbed my messenger bag and climb out the window and down the wall.

I snuck into the stable, grabbed my horse, which was ready for riding, mounted her and started galloping towards the woods.

I galloped until I heard the sound of water.

I tied my horse's rains to a tree branch and walked ahead.

Soon, I came to a clearing where there was a hot spring water fall to greet me.

I found a good strong tree branch and started undressing.

I hung my cloak and dress on the branch and slipped my undergarments and bandages into my bag once I had emptied my bathing essentials from it.

I slipped into the steaming water and stood under the scorching water fall until I was soaking wet.

I used all of my bathing oils and formulas and, then, I just sat at the edge of the pool, relaxing.

This was how I bathed everyday.

I could have bathed at the Villa but I chose not to; I didn't trust those whom I shared a bathing room with.

…

~Meanwhile. Villa Auditore~

The training group took a break for lunch.

Ezio went up to Augustina's room to, he claimed, offer her lunch, but, in truth, he wanted to see how she was doing.

Imagine the shock when he found her room empty.

He hurried down stares, panicking.

"Augustina's gone!"

The other men looked at him for a second before they went back to eating and talking.

"Didn't you all hear me?"

One of the mercenaries spoke up and said, "Si, Si. Augustina's gone… bathing."

"Bathing?"

"For some reason or another, she won't bathe here. She'll only bathe somewhere secretive."

One of the other mercenaries chimed in, saying, "What do you mean 'for some reason or another'? We all know the reason."

Ezio looked confused.

"She doesn't bathe here because she doesn't trust us; she thinks we're pervertito."

Silence cut through the room.

"She _is_ right."

All of the men looked at the training boy who spoke up.

"We _have_ tried to follow here to her bathing grounds."

"The problem is, she always knows and she sets up traps or tired to kill us."

Ezio nodded, smirked, and said, "Armatures."

The mercenaries glared at him & said, "Don't act like _you_ don't what to see the woman naked, too, Auditore."

Ezio smirked. "Oh, who would not? The difference is that I would not get so easily caught. And, even if I was caught, I would not be turned away so brutally."

The men were about to start arguing and fighting with Ezio when the leader stopped them and smirked at him.

"Very well, Auditore. If you can find Augustina's hiding placed, I'll buy you all the women and wine you want for a week.

Ezio know what the dirty old man was planning. But he still agreed.

'It could be fun.' He thought.

…

~Augustina~

I woke the next morning and got ready for training.

Then, I found out that Ezio had gone on an errand and he didn't know when he was going to be back.

So, I, technically, had another day off.

I was a little frustrated that Ezio had blown off his training but there was nothing I could do.

I spent the day practicing my archery and long distance fighting.

I had noticed that all the men were trying to hide the fact that they were all smiling but I decided to brush it off; they were always looking for reasons to piss me off so that's what I thought it was.

I finished training about 2 hours before the sun started to set. I went up to my room and grabbed my bathing supplies. I road of to the hot spring around twilight; I switched around my bathing times so that the perverts couldn't predict my moves.

The moment I got to the clearing, I tied my horse up, undresses, and slipped into the water.

Right as I was about to walk under the water fall, I felt eyes on me. And a presence.

I looked behind me.

And there, in all his smug nakedness, was Auditore, leaning against the edge of the pool, smirking.

"Boun giorno, Augustina."

Without even taking the time to think, I plunge into the water.

I swam under the water fall and entered the cave that was behind it.

The cave would've been pitch black if it weren't for all the glowing creatures that inhabited it; they lit the cave up with little white lights, like stars.

Before I got 5 feet into the cave, I felt a hand grab my ankle.

I started kicking at Auditore as if my life depended on it.

He dodged the kicks, swimming over my legs.

I tried punching him but the water made me move so slowly that he easily caught my wrist. When I tired to pull him off me by his hair, he took that wrist and pinned both of my arms on the rock wall just over my head.

He smirked down at me, making me incredibly mad.

I shoved my legs right into his stomach.

He doubled over in pain, making him let go of my wrists.

I was running out of air, so I swam up.

Once I broke surface, I wedged myself onto a ledge that was just big enough for my to draw my legs up to my chest to cover my body.

Soon, Auditore, broke surface too.

"Give me one good reason not to drown you, qui e ora?"

He smirked. "Because Zio and his mercenaries will know you did it and they'll punish you for treason."

"Oh, believe me, I can make it look like an accident. Or, better yet, the work of a templar."

He gave me an amused chuckle and said, "I think we've seen how strong you are in water; you couldn't even throw a punch. And, if you even try to kill me, I can make things very difficult for you."

"How dare you threaten me?"

"Not threaten; just telling you the truth."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

His smirk widened and he started coming closer.

"The truth is that your comrades are the reason why I'm here; they challenged me to find this little hot spring of yours and the said that, if I could do it, the leader would by me all the women and wine I want for an entire week."

I scowled at him and at the thought that those mercenaries would stoop so low.

He continued to advance on me.

"Now, if you do try to kill me, I will need those women and bottle of wine to recuperate and get back to full health and fighting spirit, so I will tell the mercenaries about this."

He rested his hands on the ledge I was on and leaned against it, leaning into me and making me cringe back.

"However, if you let me use this quaint, little hot spring when ever I need it, and if you act peacefully towards me, then, I can forget about the women and wine and act like I couldn't find my way here. So, poco Augustina, what will it be?"

I glared at him and said, "Ricattatore."

His smirk widened, knowing that he had me cornered.

**Pervertito**** – pervert**

**Boun giorno**** - good day**

**qui e ora**** – here and now**

**Zio – uncle**

**Poco**** – little**

**Ricattatore**** - Blackmailer**


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

I was crouched down at one end of the pool while Ezio was lounging around at the opposite end.

I made it a point to make sure that he couldn't see anything I didn't want him to and to keep my eyes on him at all time; I had warned him that our deal would be off if he touched me but I still didn't trust him.

This reaction made him smirk. Which made me even angrier.

"Augustina?"

I gave him a look that said, "How dare you even speak to me?"

"There's something I want to know. When I made my little bet with the mercenaries, they said that you choose to bathe here instead of at the Villa because you don't trust them. You think that they'll peep on you."

I popped my eyebrow, silently saying, "Telling me something I don't know."

"And, you've been looking at me like you think I'm going to back down on our promise. The point is that you don't seem to trust anyone who is on your side."

I could figure it out from there.

He wanted to know why I didn't trust anyone who was "on my side".

"… Have you ever played chess, Auditore?"

He looked a little confused at the question, but he nodded. "I used to play with my older brother."

"Who taught you how to play?"

"My father."

"And when your father taught you how to play chess, he told you that the game was a lot like life. In order for you to get what you want, you need to watch other people's movements and plan your movements carefully. Sound about right?"

He nodded, saying, "That's exactly what he taught me."

"He lied."

That made Auditore mad.

He wadded through the water to me, until he was standing over me in just enough water to cover his manhood. He glared down at me, threatening. "My father would never lie to me."

I look at him, skeptically, and said, "He never told you a thing about the assassins and you're here, telling me that he never lied to you."

He couldn't easily argue with that. But then he came up with an excuse; "He never told me that because he wanted to protect me. Besides, why would he lie about a game?"

"Fine. If he didn't lie, than he was delusional."

"And why is that?"

I looked up into his eyes with the hardest look that I could muster.

"Life is nothing like chess. In chess, you, as a player, are the king. As the king, you control every single piece on the board, from the pawn to the queen. Every piece does what you want it do and does your biding because you think for every piece. But life is no that perfect; you can only think for yourself. Everyone else has minds of their own and, with them, goals and aspirations. Their goals may get in the way of yours. When that happens, loyalty is lost. If you want chess to be like life, then your pawns must hold secrets, and the knights must betray. So you want to know why I don't trust anyone who is on my side. The truth is…"

I stood up, crossing my arms over my chest to hide what I didn't want him to see. The rest of me was submerged in water.

"… no one is on my side."

I turned away from him and stepped out of the water, making sure that he couldn't see anymore than my back side.

I walked behind some wilderness so that I could dry off and get dressed in peace.

…

Once I was dressed, I stepped and sat by the spring, using my reflection as a mirror.

I brushed my hair and pulled it back into a pony tail.

When I looked back in the water, I saw threw the reflection that Auditore was standing behind me, in nothing but trousers.

He was just kinda looking at me.

"Si, Auditore?"

He knelt down beside me and asked, "How does an innocent, beautiful creature like you know that that is what life is really like?"

I looked and him with a popped eyebrow.

I saw the seriousness on his face and decided to forget about his inaccurate description and just answer his question, even though I really didn't want to.

"You and I have something in common Auditore."

He waited for me to elaborate.

"We are both fatherless."

I stood up and started to walk away but Auditore grabbed my arm and stopped me. "What happened?"

I looked at him, seriously, and said, "What do you think?"

He realized I wasn't going to give him a descriptive answer so he just let me go.

I started to walk away again when I remembered.

Auditore was supposed to act like he couldn't find my spring because he ran into one of my traps.

Therefore, he had to look the part.

I looked back at him and saw that he had just put on his shirt and was tucking it into his pants.

I walked back up to him and un-tucked the shirt.

"What are you-"

I grabbed the top of his shirt and ripped it open, revealing his formed chest.

That's when he started chuckling.

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and waist and bent me back wards into a dip.

"You know, you could've just said that you wanted me to make love you, Augustina."

I got mad and, then, saw my chance for revenge.

I made sure my foot was right behind his.

Then I pushed him away.

He tripped over my foot and fell back into the little hot spring.

I smirked to myself and walked up to my horse and mounted her.

By then, Auditore had surface and yelled, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

"You need to look like you had a hard time finding the spring. If you come back with me in one piece, than every one will know the truth."

I turned my horse away and kicked her, sending her into a gallop.


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8

It had been 2 years since Ezio came to us.

2 years of training the recluta.

2 years of trying to get him to believe these "fairytales" of Assassins and Templars.

2 years of having to bathe with him and ignore his flirts.

It all came to this.

Ezio was still planning to leave for Spain.

He still didn't get it and Capitano was furious.

"You want to leave, Ezio? To throw away everything your father fought and died for? To deny your heritage? Fine! Come vuoi. Arrviderci e buona fortuna."

Capitano went stomping off with Ezio calling back to him.

Ezio turned to me and asked, "Why is he so upset?"

I looked at him, sarcastically, and said, "How could he not be? Vieri's been harassing us ever since you first arrived." I watch Captaino march away and said, "To be expected, I suppose. Given his heritage…"

Ezio looked torn and guilty. "What should I do?"

I was sitting on the wall of the fighting ring, so I pushed myself to my feet and looked at Ezio.

"As much as I would love to tell you what to do, I can't. Just remember 3 things. The first is that your father dedicated his life to exposing and disposing of the people who killed him. Second, you're family will never, truly be safe, until those who are hunting you fall. And lastly, we didn't train you just so you could defend yourself; if that were the case, we would've have let you leave ages ago."

I looked at him, sternly, to make sure he got the message, and, then, I jerked my thumb at the gate of Monterigionni, saying, "C'è il cancello, non lasciare che ti ha colpito sulla via d'uscita."

I marched off to prepare for the attack on Veiri.

...

San Gimignano.

It was almost sundown and we were mobilizing for the attack on the de Pazzi monello.

Suddenly, we heard horse hoofs coming closer.

Ezio road up and dismounted in front of Mario.

"Ezio? What are you doing here?"

"Taking responsibility. Veiri troubles you because of me"

I, quietly, scoffed while Captaino just chuckled and clarified that Vieri troubled us because we were his enemies.

But, Ezio still wanted to help.

Mario explained our dilemma to Ezio; we needed to get into the city but, apparently, Vieri knew we were going to come for him and he had all the gates sealed. Fortunately for us, the city was just too big for him and his men to handle and the South Gate was a chink in his armor. Capitano and the mercenari would distract the guards while Ezio and I climbed over the walls and opened up the gates.

Mario gave Ezio some throwing knifes to, quietly, take out the archers.

Once Captaino was fighting the guards, Ezio climbed over the wall on the left side of the gate while I climbed over the right.

We took out the archers in no time and opened the gate.

We helped Capitano take out the rest of the guards before ambushing into the city.

…

Pretty soon, Mario split off from us to find Vieri.

In the mean time, we set the mercenari on the guards to hold them off and keep them from sounding the alarm.

It was so very easy. And, for once, Ezio was keeping up.

Suddenly, we found a wounded mercenari that was with Captaino, Ezio and I rushed to him. Then, he croaked out, "Ezio, your uncle's under attack and needs help. Go to him." Then, he breathed his last breathe.

I closed his eyes and said, "Requiescat in pace."

Then, Ezio and I hurried through the city, and found a huge group of guards attacking Captaino and his men.

We helped as much as we could.

Once we found Capitano, he told Ezio to go look for Vieri and take revenge for his family.

I started to follow Ezio but Captaino stopped me and the look in his eyes told me the unspoken truth; "Ezio has to do this on his own."

I, reluctantly, stayed put and helped take out the rest of the guards.

Once they were gone, I followed Capitano to one of the towers.

We found 5 dead guards and Ezio, screaming and shaking the body of Vieri de Pazzi.

"Pezzo di merda! Vorrei solo che avessi sofferto di piu! Hai avuto la fine che meritavi! Spero she bru-"

Capitano and I pulled Ezio off of the body, telling him to show so respect to the dead.

"Respect? After all that's happened? Do you think he would have shown either of us such kindness?"

Mario looked at him, sternly but sympathetically. "You are not Vieri. Do not become him."

I clapped Ezio on the shoulder while Capitano knelt over Vieri.

"Che la morte ti dia la pace che cercavi. Requiestcat in pace."

And, with that, Vieri de Pazzi's eyes were closed forever.

**Come Vuoi. Arrviderci e buona fortuna – So be it. Good by and good luck.**

**C'è il****cancello****, ****non lasciare che****ti ha colpito****sulla via d'uscita****. – There's the gate; don't let it hit you on the way out.**

**Monello – brat**

**Pezzo di merda! Vorrei solo che avessi sofferto di piu! Hai avuto la fine che meritavi! Spero she bru-**** Piece of shit! I only wish you'd suffered more! You met the fate you deserved! I hope yo-**

**Che la morte ti dia la pace che cercavi – May death provide the peace you sought.**


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9

We all met at the round about of the villa.

The mercenari were drinking and talking like the pigs they were.

Ezio arrived just a little after we had all gotten together. Captaino greeted him with a great flourish.

"And here he is! Our campione, Ezio!"

All the mercenari yelled, "All hail Ezio."

I just kept my mouth shut, quietly seething. I had done far better things in my Assassin time than Auditore had and I never got such a celebration.

And Ezio was just eating up the praise. "I see you've wasted no time started the celebration."

"And why not? You've done us a great service, nipote! With Vieri dead, la Toscana will grow quiet once more. Do you know what that means?"

One of the mercenary yelled out, "Basta lavorare!"

Another yelled out, "Si passa tutto il giorno a bere!"

"E a puttane!"

All went silent. I looked at that mercenary like I was going to kill him.

"What? It's true!"

The mercenary started laughing while I rolled my eyes at them and their dirty ways.

Mario had them all settle down before he gave an announcement.

"We shall celebrate with our families tonight, here at the villa. Wine, food and music will start just as the sun starts to set. Assassina, would you honor us with one of your beautiful dances tonight?"

I, silently, nodded.

Ezio smirked and said, "Save a dance for me, Augustina." Then, he gave me a little wink.

All the mercenary started laughing and howling while I just narrowed my eyes at Ezio.

Once silence fell over us I, slowly said, "Non sulla vostra vita."

The mercenari all started making fun of Ezio whilst he pretended to be wounded from insult.

Mario tapped Ezio on the shoulder and asked him to follow him.

I decided to follow them and here what was said.

I heard that the templars were following Rodrigo Borgia, the Spaniard. Ezio intended to stand against him but, first, he needed to take out all the other templars on his fathers list.

His next target was Vieri's father, Fracesco de Pazzi in Firenze.

Ezio's hometown. And I was to go with him.

Ezio followed Capitano to his study.

I stood just outside the door and listened.

They started talking about the Codex pages.

Ezio handed Capitano the Codex page that he had found with his father's armor.

"This is not your father's work. Someone else has translated it."

"Leonardo da Vinci. A friend."

"Do you see the way the words cross from one page to the next?"

"There is something underneath it all. Some kind of map. Where is it supposed to lead?"

"Your father and I managed to make out bits of a prophecy scrawled across these pages. It was written by an Assassin like us who, long ago, held a "Piece of Eden". His name was Altair… He spoke of something powerful and ancient hidden beneath the land."

"What is it?"

"What indeed. Solving that little mystery is exactly why we collected these pages."

With that Ezio decided to collect more Codex pages and have this da Vinci man translate them.

"Uncle?"

"Si?"

"Before I go, I wish to speak to you about something else… about… Augustina."

Silence fell in the room.

"She doesn't seem to trust anyone. She barely talks to anyone. She keeps weapons near by her at all times, even when around comrades. It, even, seems that she barely trusts you. What happened?"

I heard Capitano sigh, thinking about what he could say.

"Augustina Mignogna is the daughter of and great Assassin and an even greater friend, Victor. When she was just 10-years-old she followed in her father's footsteps and joined the Assassins. It was a shock to all of us, even her father, but we were quiet pleased, especially with how hard she trained. Nothing stopped that girl from learning anything and everything she could. But, then she learned something that no one wants to learn; betrayal. There was a mercenari who was good friends with her and her father and they trusted him, greatly. But, one day, he lied to her father, telling him that he would have back up so that he could survive an ambush that would come after an assassination. But, the help never arrived. The mercenari was a templar spy that had wormed his way into our order and hearts. It was because of him that things went wrong. It was because of him that Augustina is now an orphan. It was because of him that, now, Augustina refused to trust anyone, even if they are a friend."

I, quietly, thinking about the bastardo who let my father die. The anger started building up inside of me.

Part of what was making me angry was that fact that Capitano had the nerve to tell Auditore behind my back.

It was business and no one else's.

"What about her mother?"

"Taken when Augustina was born."

Now they had the nerve to talk about my mother. They knew no boundaries.

"What ever happened to the man who betrayed her father?"

"What do you think, nipote?"

I slammed my boot clad foot against the door frame.

The two men looked at me in shock.

"Assassina…"

I glared at the two of them.

Then, through gritted teeth, I said, "Ho slayed il diavolo in modo che il suo contiues sofferenza nella vita ultraterrena."

I lowered my foot and marched out of the room, never looking back.

~Meanwhile~

Ezio stared at the door.

Mario sighed.

"So she refuses to trust even you because of the man who betrayed her father."

"Oh, no, Auditore. That is the reason why she won't trust any one the mercenari or even other Assassins. She doesn't trust me for a different matter entirely."

"What matter?"

Mario looked at Ezio in sorrow. "If you think she was angry about us speaking of this matter, you don't want to see what she would be like if we talked about the other."

**Campione - champion**

**la Toscana - Tuscany**

**Basta lavorare – Not more work**

**Si passa tutto il giorno a bere – we can drink all day**

**E a puttane – and with whores**

**Non sulla vostra vita – Not on your life**

**Ho****slayed****il diavolo****in modo****che il suo****contiues****sofferenza****nella vita ultraterrena**** – I slayed the devil in such a way that his suffering continues on in the afterlife**


	10. Chapter 10

Part 10

The sun had just start to set.

Already, people were laughing and drinking. Eating and talking.

The celebration was in full swing.

Music was played, meat was carved, wine was guzzled down.

I had slipped into a forest green, bodice-topped, strapped dress for the party.

I stood in the corner with my simple goblet of wine, watching everyone make fools of themselves.

Suddenly, Mario got everyone's attention.

"Grazie, amici miei, for joining us on this wonderful occasion. Tonight, drink, eat, and dance to your hearts content. Have a tempo meraviglioso."

Everyone applauded the speech before Marion had them settle down again.

"And, now, for your viewing pleasure, our lovely Augustina Mignogna will grace with one of her dances."

Everyone applauded and the mercenari started howling, pervertedly.

I ignored them as I walked to the dance floor.

A servent took my goblet from me and I prepared.

The music started.

I started walking and spinning to the beat.

I took a wide stance spread my arms.

I started rolling my hips around and swaying. I grapevined and kicked. I preformed dance steps of all kinds I leaned back and threw myself into a back flip, landing on my feet with ease. Everyone started cheering loudly before, suddenly hushing.

I threw myself into a series of spins.

Suddenly, I spun into something.

Ezio. With his shirt completely open and smirking down at me.

He placed my left hand on his shoulder, wrapped his arm around my waist and clasped my hand in his.

The bastardo had snuck on me so that he could sneak in a dance.

He started pushing me back wards. He half spun me out before spinning me back in and side stepping with me.

I was determined not to let him get the better of me.

I tugged him closer to my and planted my hand on the back of his neck while he kept his arm around my waist.

We started to spin together, slowly, looking deeply into each others eyes. We started spinning the other way.

Then, I spun away and spun back before kicking leg up. He caught it by the ankle and started admiring my boot-clad leg. Then, he lifted it over his head and spun under it and ending behind me.

He started chasing me, the both of us performing dance steps as we moved across the floor. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, pressing me against his chest and placing his left hand on my hip while grasping my right hand.

We danced and swayed like this until he turned me to face him.

We stepped to each others sides and back again.

I spun two and he wrapped his arms under my limp ones, holding me up while I bent backwards.

I snapped back up, peeled his hands off of me and started twisting and turning in and out, over and under his arms. Finally, I ended up with my back to him. I fell back, kicking my leg up as he caught me under the arms and pushing me back up.

I spun towards him, my leg still up. He caught me by the ankle, pulling me into him and wrapped my leg around his waist while our arms wrapped around each other and our foreheads pressed together.

We ended the dance with me in a back bend, my leg still wrapped around his waist.

Every one was howling, either with laughter or with sexual noises.

I pulled away from Ezio and gave a straight but deadly face.

He just smirked and gave me a flourishing bow which I returned with a flourishing curtsy.

I found the servant who still had my wine goblet.

I gulped down my wine, gave the servant the empty glass and marched up the stairs to my room.

All I wanted to do was sleep. Besides, I had a long day or two coming my way.

**Grazie, amici miei – thank you my friends**

**Tempo meravigioso – wonderful time**


	11. Chapter 11

Part 11

We, finally, reached Firenze.

And not a moment too soon; Ezio had been harassing me about the dance the whole ride over.

We left our horses at the stable and started walking through out the town.

I noticed the Ezio kept eyeing a building. And I knew the look on his face when he eyed it.

'Dio. Ci risiamo.'

Finally, we came to a door.

Ezio knocked before we entered.

It was a workshop and, inside, was a man, a little shorter than Ezio, wearing a red hat and cape.

He rushed up to Ezio and tried to hug him and Ezio held him off.

"Ezio! You're still alive!"

"Look at this place! The past two years have been kind to you."

Just then, the man got a sullen face. "But you are not the same at all, are you...?"

Ezio shook his head, depressed.

I slid my hood off to respect the man's workshop. He noticed me and his face lit up. "And who is this?"

I nodded to the man. "Augustina Mignogna. A pleasure to meet you, Signore da Vinci."

"Per favore, call me Leonardo. And the pleasure is all mine, Signora Mignogna."

He, gently, took my hand and, lightly, kissed it.

He turned back to Ezio and asked, "What can I do for you two?"

"I was hoping you might beable to help us with something."

"Anything for you, my friend."

Ezio handed him the Codez page we got from Vieri and Leonardo all but jumped for joy.

He hurried over to his work table and started analyzing the page, working out the code and the pictures.

"I seems to be a manual of sorts...for different... assassination techniques."

We asked to see it and Leonardo explained that, rather than a design like the one on the Codex page that Ezio had brought us two years ago, it was just a series of sketches. Then, he grabbed at Ezio wrist blade and said that it was an inspired idea.

"Can you make these for us while we try what's in these manual fragments?"

"Take it. I'll have my assitant set up some dummies for you both to practice with. Eh, Venecenzo!"

...

When we returned to Leonardo's workshop, the modifications were done.

"Thank you, Leaonardo."

"Non c'`e di che!"

As Ezio was refitting his bracer, he said that we need to "see" someone while we were in town.

Leonardo looked around before whispering, "La Volpe."

"The fox?"

"Shhhhhh!"

"Capisco."

I stepped in. "But where would one find a fox."

Leonardo whispered, "Perhaps, near the Mercato, where the thieves dwell… Sta' attento, I miei amici."

We both patted him on the back before leaving to look for this "fox".

…

As we wander around the city, Ezio purchased new weapons and had his old ones repaired. I refused to purchase any weapons because I didn't need new weapons; what I had was all I had ever needed.

We also went around tearing down Ezio's wanted posters and bribing the heralds into not speaking of him.

"You really got yourself into a mess two years ago."

"I didn't get myself into any mess; I was thrown into it."

Ezio seemed a little more hostile than usual. And I got a feeling it had something to do with who ever was in the building that he kept looking at.

Suddenly, a man ran past us.

Ezio checked. "My pouch. Our money!"

"Oh… your money… I don't have your money!"

The man took off and we followed after him, telling him that if he wanted to live he would give us our money back.

Finally, we had him cornered. He had no where to run.

"We really have no interest in hurting you. So give us back our money and we'll call it even."

"Not so fact."

Ezio and I turned around to find a man in a brown cloak.

I rested my hand on my daggers, ready for anything.

"What do you want? Who are you?"

The man started walking around Ezio and me, saying, "They call me many things; Murderer. Tagliagole. Thief. But you may call me La Volpe. At your service, Messer Ezio and Pardona Augustina."

I knew that anybody who knew our names was dangerous so I whiped out a dagger and threw it at the cloaked man.

He caught it with ease and wasn't even scratched by it.

The cloaked man laughed at my shocked face. "It is good to see that you are as fierce as they say, mio caro. But, in the future, make sure you have all the information you need before you do anything drastic. It could save your life.

I took my hand, pressed the dagger handle into my palm and closed my fingers around it. Then, he turned my hand so that the back was facing up and kissed it.

I still didn't trust him. Of course, that was probably because I hated anyone who lectured me.

Ezio grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me back stepping in front of me. "How do you know our names?"

La Volpe chuckled. "It is my business to know everything in this city. Isn't that why you two are here?"

I took over. "Indeed. We need to find someone; to know where he'll be before he even does."

"Who?"

"Francesco de Pazzi." Ezio growled.

La volpe thought before saying, "There's word on the street of a caravan just arrived from Roma. A secret meeting at sunset tonight. You can learn something of Francesco's whereabouts there."

"Do you know where it is to be held?"

"Ma certo. Let me know when you two are ready and we'll go Oh, yes. Here is your money."

He tossed us our pouch, chuckling all the while.

…

Before we went off with La Volpe, Ezio and I decided to talk it over. To determine if he could be trusted.

"I don't want to trust him but, at the moment he's our only lead."

Ezio said nothing.

"What do you think?"

He still didn't say anything.

"Ezio?"

Then I saw what was distracting him. That damned building.

Fed up, I clapped my hands right in his ear. He covered his ear and scowled. "What was that for?"

"You weren't paying attention. You've been in and out of it all day."

"I'm sorry… I've had a lot on my mind."

He looked at the build again.

"No."

He turned to me, confused. "No what?"

"No. I'm not going to let you go see her, whoever she is."

He laughed, nervously. "What makes you think I want to see someone?"

"You think I'm blind? Or stupid? You've been looking at that building all day and the looks on your face say that there's someone who want to see. Be pure deduction, I figured out that it was an old flame of yours and you've been dying to see her ever since we arrived. Well, let me put you're dying to rest; you're not going to see her."

He looked at me sternly. "You don't give me orders."

I got right up in his face and said, "I've been an assassin far longer than you have to I have superiority over you. If you go out of your way to see this girl, you could blow our cover. Who knows? Maybe the templars know about your two and have set up a trap for your there. You're not going and that's final. Besides, it's for everyone's own good."

I walked away to tell La Volpe that we were ready.

I felt bad when Ezio's galre started burrowing into the back of my head.

'Believe me, Ezio; see her and you will only feel pain.'

**Dio. ****Ci risiamo – God. Here we go again.**

**Per favore – Please**

**Non c'`e di che – No problem**

**Sta attento, I miei amici - Be safe, my friends**

**Taliagole - Cutthroat**

**mio caro - my dear**

**Ma certo - yes  
**


	12. Chapter 12

Part 12

Sunset.

We returned to the church court yard that La Volpe had showed us earlier that day.

We dropped into the court yard and walked up to the skull-shaped stone handle that La Volpe had pointed out. I gripped, turned, and slid down, just as I was instructed.

With that, the entrance to catacombs opened.

Ezio gestured to the hole and said, "Signora prima."

I was still fed up with him, but he was trying to be polite, which was a rare occasion. Besides, if he went first, he'd get a chance to look up my skirt.

Guards.

Obstacles.

Leavers.

All these things stood between us and the Templar meeting.

It was all just too easy.

In no time we were hearing the Templar Priest reciting his Latin.

We watched through a grate. 5 Templars surrounded ad candle lit table that was covered with weapons.

Once the Priest was done, a man by the name of Bernardo started listing off all the weapons. Apparently, the weapons were gifts… from the pope.

He had approved the operation "as long as no one was killed", according to a hooded man who spoke with an accent from Spain.

This must have been "The Spaniard" that I had heard so much about; Rodrigo Borgia.

From the sound of their conversation, they were planning to take down some one by the name of Medici.

Once the meeting was over, I asked, "Medici? The Ruler of Florence?"

Ezio wasn't paying any attention; he was looking towards a doorway at the end of the corridor.

I followed him.

We came to a room full of treasure and paintings. A stone statue of a noble man stood at the back and a stone sarcophagus was right into of it. This must had been the noble man's tomb.

I had no idea what Ezio need in this room.

He walked up to the sarcophagus and touched a stone, similar to the one that opened the door to the catacombs.

He did the same operation. Grip, turn, slid. Then, he pushed the sarcophagus open.

A gabbed him by the shoulder and hissed at him. "Were you deaf when Captiano and I told you to respect the dead?"

Then, I saw something I had never seen before.

Ezio glared at me. Not the glare that he gave me earlier that day. He looked me straight in the eyes and just glared down at me. And, for some reason, that looked scared me enough to make me back off.

'What's going on?'

Ezio opened the sarcophagus a little more, revealing the fabric-wrapped body. He reached in and pulled out a stone disk. When I took a closer look, the disk had a hand on it. And a hidden blade bracer.

This disk had something to do with the order. But I had never heard anything about it.

Ezio tucked the disk away and that was when we heard a low groaning. We looked to see that the wall behind me had shifted slightly.

We walked up to the wall, looked at each other and nodded. We pressed our shoulders to the wall and started pushing.

The wall slid open, revealing a secret passage.

….

Once we got outside, Ezio and I started hurrying for the center of town.

Once we got there, we found Lorenzo and his wife. We also round his brother, Guliano.

Francesco and his weapons friend, Bernardo, were pushing through the crowd toward Medici.

There was no time to loose.

We sprung into action, fighting off all the guards that were in our way.

Everything was in pandemonium. The crowd was running back and forth, panicking over the attack on the Medici family.

I regret to say that Guliano Medici was killed by Frecesco while we were fighting off the guards.

But, Lorenzo took priority. If he died, Francesco de Pazzi would rise to power. Then, all would be lost.

Once every guard was down, Francesco was the only man left. Ezio decided to take care of him while I went to Lorenzo's aid. He had a wound over his chest and was bleeding heavily.

"You both… saved my life…"

"Don't speak. You need help."

"To my home… people I can trust… Can you?"

I nodded and swung his arm around my shoulders, helping him to his feet and supporting him.

When I looked around, Ezio and Francesco were gone.

"Cazzo. Come on."

I helped Lorenzo through the city, doing my best to avoid any guards that were after him.

Finally, we came to the man's door. I laid him on the ground and pounded my fist against the wood.

A panel slid open and I saw a guard's scrutinizing eyes.

"Lorenzo's been wounded. Aprite la porta!

"What's the password?"

Lorenzo groaned out, "Poliziano. Open the maledetta porta!"

The guard opened up and we got Lorenzo inside, we set him down and the guard started to, quickly, look him over.

Lorenzo looked right at me and said, "I am in your debt."

"It's nothing."

"Tell me. Why did you help me?"

"It's my job."

"And what about your friend? What's his reason?"

"You'll have to ask him that."

Suddenly, another guard came in, telling of how the city was at war.

I started to leave when Lorenzo stopped me. "Please. Would you mind staying?"

I looked at him thinking it over. I was supposed to be helping Ezio. But I had no clue where he was and I would take me ages to find him. By then, it could be too late and Lorenzo could be attacked in his own home.

I nodded to Lorenzo, accepting the fact that Ezio was on his own.

…

The sun was beginning to set again.

I had been at Lorenzo's villa all day and there was still no word from or of Ezio.

It wasn't looking good.

I was in Lorenzo's bed room. He was in bed with his chest all bandaged up. I was pacing back and forth, trying to be as quiet as I could.

"Sit down. I'm sure he's fine."

I scoffed. "You should've seen him the first day of training; he could barely wield a sword properly."

"… You must care about him a lot to be worrying like this."

I froze in mid step and looked right at Lorenzo. "I care about getting rid of Francesco de Pazzi in any way possible. I do not care about Auditore."

"Very well."

He didn't question anymore but I still didn't like how that conversation had ended.

I paced in silence for a bit more before Lorenzo asked, "How did a young girl like you get involved in all this stress and carnage?"

I really didn't want to answer but this man had not had a good day, so I decided to humor him. "My father was an Assassin before me."

"And he trained you?"

"No. I trained myself."

"Why?"

"Because he wasn't going to. He thought I had other more important things." I stopped and looked out the window. "And he was right. I knew what I wanted to do. What I wanted to be."

"What did you want be?"

"Many things. A painter. A singer. A dancer. So many things."

"What happened?"

Grazie dio. A guard came in before I had to answer Lorenzo's question.

"What news?"

"Francesco de Pazzi is hanging from the roof of the Capital building!"

"An appropriate end for him; Death by the rope."

"The hanging did not kill him."

"Then what did?"

"A stab wound in his back. The doctors of town had said that he's been dead since mid day."

Midday? That long?

"But, if he's been dead since midday, where is…"

I didn't have to finish my question; I already knew were Ezio was.

"Dio dannazione!"

**Signora prima – Ladies first**

**Cazzo – Fuck**

**Aprite la porta – Open the door**

**maledetta porta – fucking door**

**Grazie dio – Thank god**

**Dio dannazione – God dammit**


	13. Chapter 13

Part 13

Che idiota!

I specifically told him not to go see her! I told him of all the problems that it could cause!

And he still went to see her!

'Fine! Let him get hurt! Let him get caught! Let him get left behind! See if I care!'

I kicked in Leonardo's door and marched in, scaring the living delights out of the painter.

I pulled a chair out and slammed my boot clad feet on his work table, crossing my arms over my chest.

I took a few deep breaths to try and calm myself down. Thankfully, Leonardo understood and indulged me. He didn't say a word but he went over to a cabinate and pour me a glass of wine.

I nodded my thanks to him before gulping the liquid down and asking for more.

As he poured, he said, "Not too fast now; you'll be drunk before you know it."

I nodded to him and sipped the wine slowly.

"What happened?"

"Ezio."

He looked confused so I explained that he, obviously, wanted to see someone but I ordered him not to, for the sake of our lives. But, when he was out of my sights, he slinked off to see his old flame.

"Don't be too hard on him; he's in a bad mood."

I snapped my gaze towards Leonardo. He was talking as if he saw Ezio.

"He's upstairs in the guest bedroom. He came back not an hour ago. He was a little drunk and depressed so, it seems he's had a bad night."

I grabbed my wine mug and gulped down the rest before slamming the mug down on the work table and saying, "And it's about to get worse."

I marched up the stairs, being as loud as I could; I wanted Ezio to here me coming so that he would know that he was in deep trouble.

I kicked open the door and found Ezio, dripping wet, in just his pants. Apparently, his steaming bath did not improve his mood; his scowl said so.

I slammed the door shut behind me and crossed my arms, staring him down.

He glared right back at me for bit, trying to not let himself get treated like a little kid, but he couldn't help but crack. "Fine! I shouldn't have gone to see her! You were right! Is that what you want to hear?"

"What I want to hear is what you were thinking when you decided to go against orders!"

"I'm a year older than you! You can't tell me what to do!"

"I have been doing this for eight years where as you have only been training for two! Today was your first official assassination! I think I can tell you what to do because I know better!"

With that, Ezio grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me against the wall. He stared down at me with angry melancholoy.

"You have no idea how this feels. Some one like you has never loved anyone, let alone, loved anyone so much that you just have to see them everyday or else you'll die."

I looked him straight in the eye with an unmoved face and said, "You're right; I've never loved anyone and certainly not like that. Clearly, I'm better off; one less weakness for people to exploit."

I ducked under his arm and walked over to the window, looking out over the city.

What was I gonna do with him?

Suddenly, I felt something surprising; Auditore planted his hands on my hips and rest his head on my shoulder.

He whispered into my ear, "I pity you; to never know love? It must be lonely."

"I prefer to be alone and I don't need your pity." I peeled his hands off my hips but he just wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I think you're lying; I think saying that you prefer solitude as a way of keeping your strong face on. Don't you ever get tired of acting tough?"

"As long as I strike fear into the hearts of my enemies, I will, not only, never tier of it, but I will enjoy my strength every single day."

He chuckled, much to my surprise, and then, he purred into my ear, "If you enjoy your own strength, then my 'strength' will make you smile."

I rolled my eyes before peeling his hands off again, saying, "Un altro punto debole del vostro; presunzione"

Right when I thought the conversation had ended, Ezio wrapped his arms back around me and grabbed my breasts. My breathe caught in my throat; he had always been a pervertito, but he had never touched me in such a way and not nearly as roughly; I could feel his nails digging into me.

I grapsed his wrists and wriggled in his grasp, trying to get away. All the while, Ezio was whispereing to me; "To think that a woman like you would have such a full breast."

"GET OFF ME!"

"I don't think so, mio caro; you owe me this."

With that he burried his face into my neck, kissing it softly while rolling my breasts around.

I tried throwing my elbow into his face and kicking him, but he took the opportunity to shove me against the wall. His chest pressed into my back and crushed me against the building.

I had promised myself that something like this would never happen and I wansn't to let it. I contiued to fight agaisnt him as if my life depended on it.

Right when I was one good movement away from freedom, he whipped me around, slammed me into the wall and commited his worst affence.

He kissed me.

I snapped my eyes open and stared at him, horrified for the first time in years. Ezio had just felt the a private part of my body and had, for the last two years, looked up that which I made sure no man ever saw. But to kiss lips that I swore would remain untouched? He may as well had shoved his hidden blade into my stomach.

And he didn't even have a good reason to kiss me.

I slapped him across the face as hard as I could.

He released me, stumbling back while his hands shot to his face.

I acted quickly; I noticed a bucket full of water sitting next to the bath. I dashed the bucket, whirled around, and tossed the contents right into Ezio's face. It was cold water; his shock and goose-bumped skin said so.

For a moment, we just stared at each other. His eyes were still full of shock while mine retained it's upset anger.

"I don't care if the love of your life just broke your heart! I don't care if your family is dead! I don't care if you're lonely! You have no right to use me! I'm not here to full fill your sick fantasies! I'm not here to comfort you! I'm not here to replace her! I am here to fight and if you ever EVER do this again, I swear, a Dio al di sopra, I will kill you!"

Horror, apology, and sadness filled Ezio's face all at once, while I realized that I had started crying.

I couldn't stand to be in the same room, let alot let him see me like this. I ran out of the room and hurried down stairs. I couldn't stand to be in the same room as him.

Due to my hysterics, I stumbled down the last few steps. Leonardo, who was still working, frantically, at his work table and saw my tears and my clumsiness. He rushed over and tried to help me up but I ripped away and got myself to my feet.

I paced around the room, trying to calm down. I wipped my face and started to breathe deeply, trying to calm myself down.

Once my breathing had slowed, Leonardo gave me another goblet full of wine. I nodded my thanks and gulped down the liquid.

"What happened?"

"... May I sleep down here tonight?"

Leonardo seemed shocked at my request but said, "Of course. What ever you please. It's not very comfortable though."

"Convinience is a greater priority."

Loenardo nodded, still confused but he dropped it. He walked out of the room so that I could change into a night slip. He came back with a pillow and a blanket from his own bed. I laid myself out before the dieing fireplace and said good night to Leonardo.

I spent hours tossing and turning. Leonardo wasn't joking when he said that the room was not very comfortable. Of course, half of the problem was from all the stress that was still in my head.

Foot steps creaked on the stairs.

I decided to pretend to be asleep; whether it was Ezio or Leonardo, I had to act like I was ok.

I rolled over to face the fire place and closed my eyes.

Whoever it was, they stopped for moment, trying to decide whether or not they should come closer.

They decided that it would be okay.

They stood ubove me before kneeling behind me.

"Augustina?" Ezio. "Augustina?" When I didn't answer, I heard him adjust himself to a more comfortable possition. "I wish... You were... I... I'm sorry. I am... so... very sorry. You were right. Not just about not seeing Cristina." So, her name was Cristina. "It is just as you said; I'm lonely. I miss my father and brothers. I miss Cristina. When I found out that she was to be married I just couldn't take it. I've had a lot to drink... No. I'm not going to blame this on wine. I have no right to... just as I have no right to hurt you the way I did. I am so sorry... Augustina?"

I didn't answer. I just kept thinking about his words.

I heard him sigh, get up and walk away.

**Che idiota – That idiot**

**Un****altro****punto****debole****del****vostro;****presunzione**** – ****Another****weakness****of****yours;****conceit**

**A****Dio****al****di****sopra****-****to****god****above**


	14. Chapter 14

Part 14

The ride back to Monterigoni was a silent one. Ezio didn't try to start a conversation or make thing less awkward between us.

I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Once we returned to the Villa Auditore, we were greeted by Mario, Claudia, and Maria. They welcomed us with hugs and handshakes but they, clearly, favored Ezio over me. It was making me upset; I mean, he pulled the amateur mistake and started dissension in our ranks and _he_ gets _all_ the credit?

I marched past the family reunion and started going to my room when Capitano started yelling at me, "Assassina! A letter came for you a few days ago! It's on your desk!"

I waved, letting him know I heard him, but I didn't stop or look at him.

The moment I got up to my room, I locked my door and window, took off all my weapons and stripped down to nakedness. I flopped down on my bed, exhausted.

8 years of hard work seemed to be disappearing from everyone's memories because of the son of one great man.

I remembered the letter and, walked over to my desk, grabbed the new piece of paper and flopped back onto my bed.

_Augustina Mignonga_

I instantly recognized the handwriting and it made me smile.

I opened the letter and started reading.

_Dearest Augustina,_

_Every letter that you have sent me for the past two years have been over flowing with complaints of this Ezio. You haven't complained this much since you first met Alonzo (may that bastardo rest in peace). _

_I'm starting to wonder if your complaints are simply words to cover up how you really feel about this boy._

_Even if I'm wrong, it's my turn to be the complainer._

_Venetia is, as I've said, a beautiful city, but she is, currently, being defiled. The Doge is an idiota. The army men are sadist. Trouble lurks around every corner. Even our own patrons are turning against us. _

_The thieves and the mercenaries do make things easier but, I feel that it may not be enough for much longer._

_Also, I have interesting news._

_One of the girls, Silvia, was entertaining a patron not to long ago who works for a man by named Emilio Barbardigo. He's a noble and merchant here in Venetia. But he is also tyrant; he's part of the reason why it is like the Inferno here. The merchant district is starting to fall under turmoil all because of him. But, I digress. The point is that this man who works for Emilio does not have a high tolerance to wine. He got drunk and he said more than he should have. I didn't really pay attention, thinking that it was just drunken nonsense. Then, I heard him say a familiar name; Rodrigo Borgia._

I bolted up to a sitting position and read the letter with great speed.

_The employee said that he was being worked so hard and that Emilio needed to get his work done due to his fear of this Borgia. I have no idea what this work may entail but I will keep my eyes and ears open and tell you everything I hear._

_Your blood sister,_

_Fiora Cavazza_

My adrenaline nearly burst.

'I have to tell Capitano.'

A leapt off the bed and threw my wardrobe open, grabbing a random dress and throwing it on.

I was about to open my door and fly out of the room, I froze.

'If I tell Capitano… he will send Ezio to do the job… and Ezio will get all the credit again… but if I tell… no one… and do this on my own…'

I, slowly, let go of the door knob.

I, slowly, walked over to the window, unlocked it and opened it.

The pink sunset illuminated my dark room.

'The sunsets… yet a new day begins… I'll leave tonight…'

…

Finally,

After a, seemingly, endless journey of stowing away on boats and stealing horses, I was in Venice.

Now, to find Fiora.

'She said that she and the other girls were friends with thieves and mercenaries. Should be easy to get information for a coin or two.'

Instantly, I found a group of Mercenaries. I snuck up to one, who seemed to be the leader, and drop a hand full of coins.

"Who do you want dead, Madonna?"

"You can kill whoever _you_ want as long as you point me towards Las Rosa Della Virtu."

He looked at me, surprised for a moment, but my glared told him to give his thoughts no tongue.

He gave me the directions and, as I walked away, I heard the mercenaries break out into a fight with the Venetian guards.

Finally, I found what I was looking for. Las Rosa Della Virtu. The Rose of Virtue. An interesting name for a hide out for courtesans.

But, then again, from what Fiora's letters had told me, the women of this hide out were rather interesting themselves.

I stepped into the bordello and, immediately, felt out of place. Not only was I the only virgin in the whole building but this was actually my first time ever getting involved with courtesans. Yes, the assassin's had agreements with the courtesans back in Monterigioni, but I always tried to do things on my own. And when I couldn't, I looked to the mercenaries or the thieves. The men were the ones who went to the courtesans.

My awkwardness was clear to everyone, as all the courtesans were giggling at me.

Then, a woman in a blue low cut dress and a nun habit came up to me.

"May I help you, my child?"

I brought my hood down, out of politeness. "Sister Teadora?"

"Si."

"I'm looking for Fiora Cavazza."

She looked me up and down for a moment before smiling. "You must be Augustina."

I looked at her shock and confused.

"Fiora has told me much about you… and you are not the only person I've seen wearing such interesting robes."

Right when I was about to question her further, I heard and excited squeal and immediately recognized it.

I looked up the stairs to see and excited Fiora running towards me with an excited smile.

And, for the first time in many years, I gave a genuine smile. Even I noticed it.

Fiora leapt into my arms, yelling, "Augustina!" I spun us in a circle, hugging my childhood friend tightly to me.

It was ages before we let go.

And, when we did let go, we just looked each other up and down, taking in everything that had ever changed.

I was still a head taller than her. Her brunette hair had grown long and she wore it differently from the other courtesans. In fact, she was like me; she seemed out of place. Instead of wearing a skimpy dress like the other girls, she wore a white shirt that was revealing but also kept her covered. Her Venetian scarlet vest closed at her abdomen but opened back up for her legs. She wore some lacy shorts underneath and leg guards that came all the way up to her mid-thigh. Her shoes were delicate but her bracers looked deadly. A green sash was tied around her waste along with three belts; one belt held her pouch for her money. Another had a holster which held, what looked like, a fan.

"What re you doing here?"

"You said something about Rodrigo Borgia in your last letter."

"Si. I also said I'd tell you everything I heard. Why'd you come here?"

"Because this is my chance to take down the Borgia and get an advantage over who-know-who."

Fiora shook her head at me and said, "You were always over competitive."

I scowled at her and playfully pushed her while she giggled.

"Fine. But if you want to get information, you're going to have to blend in and this won't do." She gestured to my Assassin robes. "Sister, do we have something for a new recruit?"

"Yes, I do believe we have something to fit her." Sister walked off to grab the clothes.

"Wait. New recruit?"

Fiora popped her eyebrows. And I realized what she had planned.

"No!"

"You said you wanted information, right? Well, how else are you going to get it?"

"The same way I've been getting information for 8 years!"

"He has to know that you and your people are after him! Plus, I highly doubt you got into Venetia with legal ways. They'll be on the look out for you and your people. You have to do this."

"Fiora is correct, bambino. This is the only way." Sister Teodora presented a pile of courtesan clothes.

I tried to give her an apologetic smile. "With all due respect, Sister, I don't think I'll be able to blend in here very well. You see, I'm a virgin and I promised myself I would stay that way for a very long time."

"And we will respect that decision. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Fiora herself is still a virgin."

I looked at Fiora in shock.

"Che cosa? We made that promise together, didn't we?"

"Well, yes, but when you told me you were working here, I thought…"

Sister Teodora and Fiora both laughed at me, which I did not appreciate.

"Trust us."

'Oh, dio.'

**Bambino – child**

**Oh, dio – Oh, god**

Fauna_ f F_


End file.
